India, April 4 -- While the Government assured Delhi that the West Asia crisis would not disrupt cooking gas supplies, a parallel economy was quietly flourishing in rented godowns, residential homes, and TATA Ace vans navigating industrial back lanes.

Over the past ten days, Delhi Police has made a series of raids across the Capital, recovering nearly 500 LPG cylinders from illegal hoarders and black marketeers who had turned a public crisis into private profit.

The numbers tell a story of organised exploitation. Six separate operations in Sangam Vihar, Chhawla, Dabri, Rohini, Palam Village, and Bawana have led to eleven arrests and the seizure of cylinders from HP Gas, Bharat Gas, Indane, and Go Gas. The accused range from registered d...